Officials in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo say eight people were killed when militiamen attacked rangers in the famed Virunga National Park.

The Mai Mai Pareco group ambushed a park patrol traveling with an army escort on Thursday, according to authorities. Two rangers, a soldier and five militiamen were killed in the clash.

Virunga Park, known for its rare mountain gorillas, is the site of frequent clashes between soldiers and the rebel and militia groups active in the region. The park lies near Congo's border with Uganda.

Separately, an attack at the home of a prominent Congolese doctor has drawn international condemnation.

Rights groups say armed men entered Dr. Denis Mukwege's home in eastern South Kivu Province late Thursday, killed his security guard and held some of his family members at gunpoint.

Mukwege, a surgeon and head of a local hospital, was not home at the time.

Rights groups say he may have been targeted for his work treating thousands of Congolese women and girls who have been victims of sexual violence.